CHAPTER 1. MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS
Memories aren’t stored
in just one part of the
brain. Different types
are stored across different,
interconnected brain regions.
For explicit memories –
which are about events that
happened to you (episodic),
as well as general facts and
information (semantic) – there
are three important areas of
the brain: the hippocampus, the
neocortex and the amygdala.
Implicit memories, such as
motor memories, rely on the
basal ganglia and cerebellum.
Short-term working memory
relies most heavily on the
prefrontal cortex.
WHERE ARE
MEMORIES
FORMED AND
STORED?
THE NEED FOR SLEEP
WHILE WE SLEEP, the hippocampus and neocortex take part in a carefully
choreographed interaction during which the hippocampus replays recent events.
The same neurons active in the hippocampus during an experience become
activated again during slow-wave sleep, also known as deep sleep. This occurs
repeatedly, helping to update the neocortex about what needs to be stored.
Replay occurs during sleep, so if you aren’t getting enough sleep, you aren’t
letting your brain consolidate memories.
SLEEP HELPS RETAIN MEMORIES. “ . . .so if you aren’t getting enough sleep,
you aren’t letting your brain consolidate memories.”
DID YOU
KNOW?